


Captured

by Aragarna



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 04:18:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2374244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aragarna/pseuds/Aragarna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal and Mozzie are on a very particular stakeout...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Captured

**Author's Note:**

> This is a (rather late) birthday gift for my buddy **nieseryjna** , who asked me for "Artist Neal, birthday boy Peter, and surprising gift" and who I know loves photography. :-) Many many thanks to **anodyneer** for the great and quick beta!

“Neal,” Mozzie whispered in his friend’s ear. “I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t even understand how you can think it’s a good idea.”

“Just shut up, and keep watch, Moz’,” Neal retorted as he continued to scout the area, looking for the best observation point.

“Because, you know, he’ll find out.”

Neal finally turned his attention to Mozzie. “Why are you so worried?”

“This is stalking! How do you think the Suit is going to react when he finds out you’re stalking him?”

Neal shook his head. “You’re over-dramatizing. I’m sure he’ll be delighted.”

“Delighted?!” Mozzie choked.

Neal stepped back and crouched near a tree to study the angle. He lifted the camera to his face and looked through the viewfinder.

“You know,” he said, “you didn’t have to come.”

“Sure, and I would just let you wander about with my precious Leica. That piece is probably older than your grandmother.”

Neal smiled and started setting the camera, aperture, shutter speed. He had to admit, this was a lovely piece of antiquated technology. Playing with the old mechanism, Neal could feel the charge of history from the camera. He wondered how many events it could possibly have captured.

“Oh, here they come!” Mozzie suddenly said as he rushed to hide behind the tree.

Neal glanced over the camera and indeed saw Peter and Elizabeth approaching, holding hands as they walked along the path that ran along the pond. They sat on a bench, and Peter wrapped his arms around Elizabeth’s shoulders. Neal pressed the shutter and pushed the lever to roll the film and quickly pressed again. He readjusted the settings, trying slightly different aperture settings and shutter speeds and shooting again. Then he paused, looking through the camera at Peter and Elizabeth enjoying a lovely afternoon in Central Park.

Neal knew this was their favorite spot, and since Elizabeth had moved to DC, they had made a tradition to come and enjoy a late Sunday afternoon here before Peter took her back to the train station. Animated at first, they had now stopped talking. Elizabeth leaned closer against Peter and rested her head on his shoulder.

Neal pressed the shutter again. Satisfied, he rose to his feet and motioned for Mozzie to leave.

Back in his apartment, Neal walked to his closet, which he had temporarily reorganized as a darkroom He had spent most of his free time the past few days experimenting with baths and developers until he felt confident enough in his technique. He had decided to make the image in black and white because he had noticed Peter particularly appreciated black and white photographs. Photography isn’t the most popular form of art, and Neal had been pleasantly surprised when, during a case that took them to a photography gallery, Peter had seemed particularly interested by the art of Vivian Meier displayed there. That was something Neal hadn’t expected from the agent. But then, he knew Peter was a lot more than his rough exterior let on.

Under the feeble light of the red bulb, Neal set the enlarger and projected the film image on a large photographic paper. Then, he delicately grabbed the edges of the paper with tweezers and plunged it in the first bath, the developing bath.  Before his eyes, the image slowly started to appear, making Neal smile. That process always had a bit of magic about it. When the image was clear enough, he transferred it to the second bath, to stop the development, before putting it in the fixer, making sure that image would remain forever – or close enough. Finally, he hung the photograph to let it dry.

When it was ready, Neal would frame it and wrap it. He was sure Peter would love it. Hopefully enough to forgive him the stalking…

\-----------------------------------------

  
“Happy Birthday, Peter!” Neal cheered, handing Peter his gift as Peter let him in.

“Neal, you didn’t have to. Wow that’s heavy,” Peter said. From his look, he was obviously very curious about it.

“That’s not a forgery, I swear,” Neal teased.

“It better not be.”

“Hi, Neal!” Elizabeth welcomed him.

“Hi Elizabeth, great to see you,” Neal said as he released himself from his coat and draped it on the staircase.

Peter sat on the sofa and cheerily tore apart the wrapping paper, revealing the framed photograph. Elizabeth sat on the armrest by his side, looking over his shoulder.

Neal kept his eyes focused on his friend’s face, studying his reaction. First was the look of excitement – Peter was that amazing eternal 6 years old when it came to surprises and gifts –, then he paused as he realized it was a photograph. The late afternoon light, combined with the black and white and the traditional developing gave the photograph an old classic look. Peter gave it a look of appreciation that made Neal feel proud. Peter’s look suddenly softened as he spotted himself and Elizabeth on the bench. Then the look morphed into something vaguely threatening as his eyes narrowed.

He looked up at Neal. “Have you been following us?” he asked with a slightly accusing tone.

Neal shot his most innocent smile. “Only for a good cause, Peter.”

Peter melted into a fond smile. “It’s a great picture. Thank you, Neal.”

“It is,” Elizabeth echoed. “Neal, this is beautiful.”

Neal smiled and looked back at Peter, but he was already lost again in the contemplation of the photograph, a soft smile brushing his lips as he ran a finger around Elizabeth’s small silhouette.

FIN.

[ ](http://i.imgur.com/eiw2J3l.png)  



End file.
